Sony has called on hacks and analysts to come to New York next month for an event focused on the PlayStation - an invite that's left pundits and fans predicting the unveiling of the long-awaited PlayStation 4.
Naturally, Sony isn’t saying, confirming only that the electronics giant will be discussing its PlayStation business …

COMMENTS

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They plan to unveil...

If you're into gaming, they're not a terrible investment

Our first gen model finally died on us a couple of weeks ago (fan issue - we'll probably get it repaired) so five years isn't bad for a bit of modern tech, and it isn't even obsolete at the moment. So, I just bought the new slimline model and hopefully that'll last a further few years (the PS4 or whatever they call it will be optional).

Timing...

IF they have certain insider knowledge, and IF Microsoft are considering presenting the next XBox come E3, then Sony would be smart to present the PS4 now, if it's ready.

Since the PS3 came out quite a bit after the XBox 360 came out, everyone would expect the same thing to happen, ie that Microsoft present the XBox then there's a waiting period for the PS....so a lot of people who don't want to wait/can't wait will go pick up an XBox since it's available, and by the time the PS has come out the XBox will have dropped in price.

It'd be a good timing move by Sony. I just know I won't be interested until they a) stop using proprietary Sony everything, and b) make it a networked media center. The same way that I'll be in two very distinct minds about the XBox if it doesn't improve it's array of media codecs and capabilities. If they stick with apps like XBox Music on Windows 8 - they can screw themselves. It's horrible.

That, and the entire gaming side needs to be beyond awesome. I'd like a modular box, allowing me to upgrade to better hardware as time goes on, like a PC - but with only approved parts that are guaranteed to work.

I am loving our PS3 and it is mainly being used to stream movies from my PC and to watch DVDs and blue ray. My boy who is 6 loves racing games so her gets to use it as it is intended. I like the media side so much I bought a second PS3 for the wife's office\lounge. I will probably buy the next version of the Playstation but mainly for it's media capabilities.

Re: Backwards Compatability ?

Backwards compatibility? Zero, especially if the rumoured AMD specs are true. It's possible software emulators for PS1 and PS2 might be included to enable disk loading of those games but I bet that the only PS1 and PS2 compatibility available will be via PSN Store purchases. As for PS3 - that's what they've bought Gaikai for, no?

Resistance to online only gaming?

I'm a bit surprised the majority appear to be in favour of hanging on with gritted teeth to optical media, and crying that online distribution is beyong the technical capabilities of the human race. Personally, I like to look forward. Devices without any moving components brings some really great benfits in terms of power consumption, reliability and longevity. Digital distribution destroying jobs in bricks & mortar stores? Sure, but this is just a Luddite's argument and if you can be honest with yourself you know it. Thumb me down if you think technological progess should be halted - I double dare you!

Re: Resistance to online only gaming?

I've got no problem with progress, but if you can find a way to get the entire UK broadband infrastructure (ignoring the rest of the world for now....) to a point where online-only distribution of 25Gb+ games is a practical proposition for everyone, and do it in time for next Xmas when we might see new consoles, then you really should be offering your services to gov't.

San Andreas just got released as a PS2 classic on PS3, and I'm seeing a fair bit of moaning about how long it's taking people to download it - and that's "only" a few gig. Physical media remains necessary for a lot of people at the moment, and will do for a few years yet...

Re: Resistance to online only gaming?

@Andy - Thanks for the condescension, but the reason I don't want a download-only console is because the publishers will use it as a method to screw me over. EA and the like have not and will not drop their prices to compensate for the reduced costs and content of digital distribution. Hell, they moved off Steam because Valve don't treat their customers badly enough for EA's tastes. At launch, the latest FIFA game was 20 quid more expensive online than in a high street store. That is disgusting, and that's why I don't want an online-only console; it'll be too expensive to play on.

I buy lots and lots and lots of games online, but from Steam, Desura, GoG, etc. Having multiple marketplaces on the PC means competition between them, and as a flag-bearer for the industry Valve were pretty bloody exemplary. The result is a convenient, customer-focused system that benefits me. On a console, you have one marketplace, and you're constantly bombarded with loyalty tests to prove you're not some scum-sucking pre-owned game purchaser (which I am).

Re: Resistance to online only gaming?

Why download games at all?

Anyone who has the colossal bandwidth needed to download a full retail game in a timely fashion probably has the bandwidth to just stream the thing. For most games any latency is largely irrelevant. Why even bother installing it on a console when the video and sound can be sent over the wire?

Anyway I think most probably they will support disc based games. It would be madness not to. Broadband is not ubiquitous by a long shot and people still want to watch things like blu rays and DVDs.

Re: What's funny...

I've been download only for a while now thanks to the PS+ subscription. But then I'm on VM so I only have to avoid peek times to get usable internet speeds.

As for a second hand market. It'd die. I'm sure players who bought second hand would either what for the inevitable price drops, the game to be released as a 'PS4 Classic' or "PS4 Essential' title. or (as I do) what and see what is given away in the PS+ subscription.

For me a combination of PS+ subscription, PS1, PS2, Mini's and PSN titles keep me suitably entertained without having to pay £60 for the latest and greatest releases.

Re: What's funny...

While I don't discount the possibility of them locking out re-sale of games, this particular rumour was started when the PS3 was announced as well. So I would take it with a pinch of salt at the moment. Bad publicity move if they do though.

Re: What's funny...

It's not just a rumour, it's something Sony are actively pursuing- using embedded RFID in the disks. See recent patents for details. Whether it actually hits anyone stupid enough to greenlight it for production is another matter.

"to come next month"

It's all good

Download, upload, sideload...

And who still cares about consoles? The people that like dedicated titles. And who's fault is it that they can't play those on PC? But people just keep supporting this paradigm due to an ever shrinking sense of "ease to play experience".

It isn't my opinion that the game console is dying, it is the opinion of the ones making them. How much do the "Dashboards" of current consoles look like what you ONCE considered a console? How much do they look like CURRENT PC's? Which way is the trend heading?

These console companies should just sell a gaming PC in an mATX for factor. Fully upgradable and all that a PC is. That would bring the inevitable quicker. However, then they might loose the chance to force marketing through their "Dashboards"...which is the trend.

Re: Download, upload, sideload...

The biggest useful thing about consoles is that they're *not* possible to upgrade. This gives the software developers a clear and solid target to aim for, even over a three-year development cycle, so they can squeeze every last drop of performance from it (which is what we're seeing now with the latest Xbox360 and PS3 titles). It also means all users have the same basic kit, removing possibilities of driver issues, out-of-resource issues, and cutting QA down massively. Also enables console-wide services like the Friends system, Xbox Live Chat and so on - although Steam has brought much of that across to the PC too, hurrah!

(On the downside, it also means that otherwise interesting addons (Move, Kinect, erm...) tend to die because without 100% deployment no devs want to really commit to them. Which is why the PSN chat facility is never used - no headset in the box)

Re: Download, upload, sideload...

Before accusing consoles of becoming too much like PCs. AFAIR PCs actually moved towards being like consoles when they were able to slot in a custom graphics and sound cards and have Steering Wheel pedals etc. Custom chips that were being designed for games consoles, Arcade gaming machines and the 'home computers'.

These cards were only affordable in the late 1990s. Even so, it was a long time before PCs were able to do the super slick Arcade beat' em ups, exhilarating Arcades racers and the platformers that the lower powered consoles were doing.

Re: and

playstation and xbox have hundreds of versions each to update gfx cards, hdds, etc etc etc, and they still bottleneck on 90% of 1st generation games

put a basic pc in the antec box and plug it in your tv, with the posh little box on your tv stand, and then you can just buy a wireless keyboard, the gt610 plays most pc games on low detail and only cost £30, without a full atx box, you have to get a gt630 with gddr 5 ram on and not all have and most shops lie so you have to check the model numbers on google, or gt640 if the board has pci-3.0

Re: and

Re: and

"I haven't spent a single penny on it since then"

Thats because you overpaid at the time for hardware that PC games couldn't utilise.

PCs have always been notorious for it.

Traditionally, upgrading a PC for games meant going up a notch in resolution and perhaps an increase in 20fps. Gamers were enjoying the tech side of things more than the actual gameplay on offer. It was a hobby in its self. Sure, many people will still be enjoying building their first PCs and upgrading in the future. Others however, got fed up, bored, or just don't have the time and money to tinker anymore.

There is still a massive back catalogue of great gameply to be had on all the old platforms, once the tech snobbery gets out of a gamer's system.